Bear shot in New Milford: Man must find a way to peacefully co-exist with wildlife around us

News-Times, The (Danbury, CT)

Published
8:00 pm EDT, Thursday, August 14, 2008

As residential development encroaches on their habitat, bears, coyotes and other wildlife that had rarely been seen years ago are now our neighbors. We must learn to peacefully coexist.

James Galvin, who lives on 51 acres off Indian Trail Road in a rural part of New Milford, was understandably concerned when a female black bear -- estimated later to weigh 150 to 200 pounds -- turned toward him and stood up on its hind legs. Even someone who has never seen a bear up close can picture the menacing image.

Wanting to defend himself and protect his sheepdog, the property owner shot the bear three times with his 12-gauge shotgun. Only after the bear was dead did it become apparent that its two terrified cubs were whimpering high up in a tree.

The big bear was most likely trying to protect her cubs. With this realization, sympathy shifts to the animals, a natural response to this bear version of "Bambi."

Once thought to be remote, bears now are commonly spotted in Connecticut, especially in the northwestern part of the state. In 2006, more than 2,000 sightings of black bears were reported to the state Department of Environmental. (Many of those sightings, however, could have been of the same bear.)

The state's bear population is estimated at 300 and growing. However, according to DEP officials, the probability of a bear actually attacking a human is exceptionally low.

What we humans need to do is make sure we are not unintentionally attracting bears closer to homes with filled bird feeders, accessible garbage cans or food scraps outdoors.

Like raccoons, bears will eat what is easiest to find. That's survival instinct.

Similarly, we should be aware of the increasing coyote population and responsibly protect beloved pets, such as cats and small dogs, which a coyote would consider as food.

As the presence of bears, coyotes and other wild animals grows in the state, we must find a balance of protecting what is ours, yet responsibly appreciating that those animals roamed the lands before we divided it into tidy plots.

In the interest of both man and wild animals, we must find a way to peacefully coexist with the wildlife around us.